Chlamydia trachomatis reactive T lymphocytes from upper genital tract tissue specimens

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Microbiology
• Reproductive Medicine

Background:

• Chlamydia trachomatis infection is a leading cause of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and tubal factor infertility (TFI).
• The specific immune responses within the upper genital tract tissues in PID and TFI remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of Chlamydia trachomatis as a target antigen for endometrial and salpingeal tissue lymphocytes in patients with PID and TFI.
• To characterize the specificity and type of immune response mounted by local lymphocytes.

Main Methods:

• Establishment and characterization of T lymphocyte lines (TLL) from endometrial and salpingeal tissues of PID and TFI patients.
• Antigen specificity testing of TLL against C. trachomatis elementary bodies and chlamydial heat shock protein 60 (CHSP60).
• Assessment of in-vivo interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) mRNA expression and in-vitro cytokine production (IFN-gamma, IL-5).

Main Results:

• C. trachomatis antigens stimulated TLL proliferation in a subset of PID and TFI patients.
• Salpingeal TLL showed a predominant response to CHSP60, unlike endometrial TLL.
• In-vivo IFN-gamma mRNA was detected in most PID specimens, and C. trachomatis-specific TLL produced high levels of IFN-gamma, indicating a Type 1 T lymphocyte response.

Conclusions:

• Chlamydia trachomatis-reactive TLL can be established from activated lymphocytes in the upper genital tract of PID and TFI patients.
• The predominant reactivity of salpingeal TLL to CHSP60 suggests its significance in the immunopathology of tubal damage associated with C. trachomatis infection.